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Jun 2, 2015

Goldfinch spotted on east coast of James Bay

Photo by April Dawn Georgekish-Gull

200 kms. north of normal range

My neice April Dawn Georgekish-Gull and her husband Tony, and their children, live in Wemindji, Quebec, about 200 kms. up the eastern side of James Bay, in Quebec. April recently took the above picture of an American Goldfinch in her village. The normal northerly range of American Goldfinches in the newer birding field guides is the southern tip of James Bay. Bird guidebooks a decade or two earlier show the northern limit at about 300 kilometres further south around Cochrane, Ontario, and La Sarre, in Quebec. One could speculate that the northern range limit of American Goldfinches has moved north by 450 to 500 kms. in the last 20-30 years. This would certainly be consistent with reports from other sources about the increasingly northern migration of many of our songbirds. Global warming and other environmental factors certainly seem at play here and one can't help but wonder where it will all end...and will it be a good ending? As far as April is concerned, this is the first time anyone in Wemindji has seen a goldfinch in their village. Great sighting, April. Well done.

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About Me

Born the night Japan attacked Pearl Harbour / became a man the day I harnessed a team of horses for my grandfather / hitch-hiked across Canada and back / married my high school sweetheart / spent 41 years in newspaper publishing / birdwatcher for the past 26 years / take a canoe over a car any day / proud father and grandfather / lifelong hedonist